Container processing device

ABSTRACT

A heating device ( 1 ) of a container processing device includes a main turret ( 2 ) which supplies a container ( 10 ) to high-frequency induction heating element ( 3 ) for providing a heat treatment to the container ( 10 ) so that the container ( 10 ) is sucked by bottom suction device ( 21 ), a container supply turret ( 5 ) which supplies the container ( 10 ) to the main turret ( 2 ); and an auxiliary turret ( 4 ) provided in a receiving area of the main turret ( 2 ). The auxiliary turret ( 4 ) is configured to center the container ( 10 ) towards the bottom suction device ( 21 ) in the receiving area.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a National Stage of International Application No. PCT/JP2012/006517 filed Oct. 11, 2012, claiming priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-244905 filed Nov. 8, 2011, the contents of all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a container processing device. More particularly, it relates to a container processing device which can improve, for example, the quality and efficiency of processing.

BACKGROUND ART

Heretofore, in the manufacture of can bodies, processing devices which perform predetermined processing such as heating and a pinhole inspection have been used.

Such a processing device generally includes a main turret having bottom suction means and a can body holding pocket. The bottom suction means receives a can body via the can body holding pocket, and thereby holds the can body so that the bottom of the can body is centered, and the conveyed can body is then subjected to predetermined processing.

The following devices have heretofore been used as the processing devices of the above type.

A container processing device according to a first typical example is a device which provides a heat treatment to a can body, and this device is described with reference to the drawing.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of essential parts for illustrating the container processing device according to the first typical example, wherein (a) shows a front view, and (b) shows a C-C sectional view.

As shown in FIG. 5, a heating device 101 includes a main turret 102 provided with a plurality of bottom suction means 21 and can body holding pockets 122, and high-frequency induction heating means 103 which provides a heat treatment to a can body 10 that is conveyed while being sucked by the bottom suction means 21.

The can body 10 having its surface coated with a coating film such as a polyester film or an organic coating film is then embossed by the heat treatment without any detachment, blanching, and cracking of an embossed design during the embossing for forming depressions and/or projections.

In this heating device 101, the can body holding pockets 122 which are fixed to the main turret 102 and which rotate together with the main turret 102 center the can body 10 received from a container supply turret 5, and the bottom suction means 21 suck the centered can body 10.

The main turret 102 then conveys the can body 10 which is rotating on its axis by the bottom suction means 21 along the high-frequency induction heating means 103, and the high-frequency induction heating means 103 heat the substantially entire side surface of the can body 10.

The heated can body 10 which has stopped rotating on its axis is then conveyed, and passed to a container conveying turret 6.

The can body 10 which has been heated in this manner is then supplied to an embossing process (not shown) for embossing to form depressions and/or projections in the can body 10.

A container processing device according to a second typical example is a device which inspects a can body for a pinhole by applying light to the can body. This device is described with reference to the drawing.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of essential parts for illustrating the container processing device according to the second typical example, wherein (a) shows a front view, and (b) shows a D-D sectional view.

As shown in FIG. 6, a pinhole inspection device 101 a includes a main turret 102 a provided with a plurality of bottom suction means 21 a and can body holding pockets 122 a, and illumination means 3 a, 131 a, and 132 a for providing pinhole inspection processing to a can body 10 that is conveyed while being sucked by bottom suction means 21 a.

Although not shown, a sealed ring plate and a camera obscura according to Patent Literature 2 described later are used in the pinhole inspection processing.

In this pinhole inspection device 101 a, the can body holding pockets 122 a provided in the main turret 102 a center the can body 10 received from a container supply turret 5, and the bottom suction means 21 a suck the centered can body 10.

The main turret 102 a then conveys the can body 10 which is pressed on an opening receiver of a slide ring plate 123 by the bottom suction means 21 a, and a pinhole inspection is conducted while the light is being applied to the can body 10 by the illumination means 3 a, 131 a, and 132 a from the outside of the can body 10.

The inspected can body 10 is then conveyed so that the can body 10 has retreated from the opening receiver, and the can body 10 is passed to a container conveying turret 6.

In connection with the container processing devices described above, Patent Literature 1 discloses a technique associated with a can barrel processing method to emboss a can body having its surface coated with a coating film such as a polyester film or an organic coating film. According to this can barrel processing method, an embossing device includes a heating unit and an embossing unit. The heating unit has a pocket (can body holding pocket), a high-frequency induction heating coil device, and a chuck. A can body supply unit (container supply turret) is provided on the upstream side, and a can body passing unit is provided on the downstream side.

Patent Literature 2 also discloses a technique for a can body pinhole inspection device. This inspection device includes a turret having a slide ring plate in which a through-hole is formed, a sealed ring plate having a hole which is in communication with the through-hole, a light irradiator which irradiates the entire barrel of a can body, and a camera obscura having a photodetector therein.

CITATION LIST Patent Literature

Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Publication Laid-open No. 2009-28792

Patent Literature 2: Japanese Patent Publication Laid-open No. 6-109661

SUMMARY OF INVENTION Technical Problem

However, since the heating device 101 according to the first typical example requires the can body holding pockets 122 to receive the can body 10 from the container supply turret 5, the high-frequency induction heating means 103 can only be disposed on the outer circumferential side of the main turret 102. Therefore, the can body 10 is only heated from the outer circumferential side, so that the heating requires some time, and heating energy is also absorbed in components that constitute the can body holding pockets 122, leading to low heating efficiency.

In the case of the pinhole inspection device 101 a according to the second typical example, it is preferable to evenly apply light to the entire barrel of the can body 10. However, the positions to dispose the illumination means 131 a and 132 a on the central side of the main turret 102 a are limited by the presence of the can body holding pockets 122 a. Therefore, it is impossible to uniformly and effectively apply light to the entire barrel of the can body 10.

The present invention has been made in view of the forgoing circumstances. An object of the present invention is to provide a container processing device which can improve, for example, the quality and efficiency of processing.

Solution to Problem

To achieve the above object, the present inventor has completed the present invention by contriving, as a result of imaginations and studies, an innovative and useful configuration which dispenses with the above-mentioned can body holding pockets of the main turret and which is provided with an auxiliary turret instead.

That is, a container processing device according to the present invention includes a main turret which supplies a container to processing means for providing predetermined processing so that the container is sucked by bottom suction means, and a container supply turret facing the main turret; and an auxiliary turret in a container receiving area of the main turret. The auxiliary turret is configured to center the container towards the bottom suction means in the receiving area.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

According to the container processing device of the present invention, for example, the quality and efficiency of processing can be improved. For example, in a heating device for embossing a can body having its surface covered with such as a polyester film or an organic coat, high-frequency induction heating means can be disposed on the outer circumferential side and central side of the main turret, so that uniform heating is possible, and the heating efficiency can be improved. In a pinhole inspection device, the degree of freedom is higher in the position to dispose illumination on the central side of the main turret, and it is possible to uniformly and effectively apply light to the can body, and improve inspection accuracy.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of essential parts for illustrating a container processing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, wherein (a) shows a front view, and (b) shows an A-A sectional view;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of essential parts for illustrating the operation of the container processing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of essential parts for illustrating the operation of the container processing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of essential parts for illustrating a container processing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, wherein (a) shows a front view, and (b) shows a B-B sectional view;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of essential parts for illustrating a container processing device according to a first typical example, wherein (a) shows a front view, and (b) shows a C-C sectional view; and

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of essential parts for illustrating the container processing device according to a second typical example, wherein (a) shows a front view, and (b) shows a D-D sectional view.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS First Embodiment

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of essential parts for illustrating a container processing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, wherein (a) shows a front view, and (b) shows an A-A sectional view.

In FIG. 1, a can body heating device 1 as the container processing device according to the present embodiment includes a main turret 2, high-frequency induction heating means 3, an auxiliary turret 4, and a container supply turret 5. The auxiliary turret 4 is configured to center a can body 10 towards bottom suction means 21. The heating device 1 performs a high-frequency induction heat treatment as predetermined processing. This high-frequency induction heat treatment is performed to improve the processability of such as a polyester film or an organic coat of the can body 10 in the process of fabricating an embossed can.

(Main Turret)

The main turret 2 is an annular plate material attached to a rotation shaft, and has a plurality of bottom suction means 21 provided on the circumferential edge at equal intervals. The bottom suction means 21 each has a suction plate which sucks the bottom of the can body 10, and a motor which rotates the suction plate. The main turret 2 supplies the can body 10 to the high-frequency induction heating means 3 which provides a heat treatment to the can body 10 sucked by the bottom suction means 21.

(High-Frequency Induction Heating Means)

The high-frequency induction heating means 3 has a heating coil, and a ferrite case which houses the heating coil. The high-frequency induction heating means 3 is disposed on the outer circumferential side and central side of the main turret 2. Consequently, the high-frequency induction heating means 3 can heat, from the outer circumferential side and central side of the main turret 2, the can body 10 which is conveyed while rotating on its axis. It is thus possible to improve heating efficiency to reduce a heating time, and reduce the high-frequency induction heating means 3 in size and save the space of the heating device 1.

(Auxiliary Turret)

The auxiliary turret 4 is means for centering the can body 10. More specifically, the auxiliary turret 4 includes two annular plate materials attached to a rotation shaft in parallel, and has a plurality of pockets 41 provided on the circumferential edge at equal intervals. This auxiliary turret 4 is provided in a region of the main turret 2 to receive the can body 10. In this receiving area, the auxiliary turret 4 centers the can body 10 towards the bottom suction means 21.

That is, in contrast with the heating device 101 according to the first typical example described above (see FIG. 5), the heating device 1 does not need the can body holding pockets 122, so that the high-frequency induction heating means 3 can be also disposed on the central side of the main turret 2.

A gear is also attached to the rotation shaft, and the auxiliary turret 4 rotates synchronously with the main turret 2.

The above-mentioned “receiving area” means a receiving area where the main turret 2 receives the can body 10 which is conveyed by the container supply turret 5.

Here, it is preferable that receiving guide members 42 and 43 to guide the can body 10 are provided in the receiving area. That is, the receiving guide member 42 is provided inside a pitch circle of the main turret 2, and the receiving guide member 43 is provided outside the pitch circle of the main turret 2, so that the locus of the can body 10 is defined, which further ensures the can body 10 can be received.

The above-mentioned “pitch circle” means a circle drawn by a referential point of centering when the can body 10 is conveyed in each turret.

As shown in FIG. 2(a), it is preferable that the pockets 41 of the auxiliary turret 4 each has a container support arc surface 411, and an introduction surface 412 extending on a rotation direction outer circumferential surface from the container support arc surface 411, and that a pitch circle of the auxiliary turret 4 is in contact with a pitch circle of the main turret 2. In this way, the can body 10 is smoothly guided to the container support arc surface 411 by the introduction surface 412, and the centering can be accurately performed.

(Container Supply Turret)

The container supply turret 5 includes two annular plate materials attached to a pivotally supported rotation shaft in parallel, and has a plurality of pockets 51 provided on the circumferential edge at equal intervals. This container supply turret 5 is disposed to face the main turret 2, and supplies the can body 10 to the main turret 2.

(Container Conveying Turret)

The container conveying turret 6 includes two annular plate materials attached to a pivotally supported rotation shaft in parallel, and has a plurality of pockets provided on the circumferential edge at equal intervals. This container conveying turret 6 is disposed on the downstream side of the main turret 2, and receives the can body 10 from the main turret 2 and supplies the heated can body 10 to the above-mentioned embossing process (not shown).

(Operation of Heating Device)

Now, the operation of the heating device 1 having the above-mentioned configuration is described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of essential parts for illustrating the operation of the container processing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2(a), at a receipt start point, the main turret 2 starts the receipt of the can body 10 which has been conveyed by the container supply turret 5 via the auxiliary turret 4. The receipt start point is a contact point between the pitch circle of the main turret 2 and the pitch circle of the container supply turret 5.

That is, at the receipt start point, the can body 10 is put between the pocket 51 of the container supply turret 5 and the pocket 41 of the auxiliary turret 4, and is pressed by the pocket 51. The bottom suction means 21 is located under the bottom of the can body 10, and the bottom suction means 21 starts suction.

Here, as shown in FIG. 2(a), it is preferable that the pitch circle of the auxiliary turret 4 contacts the pitch circle of the main turret 2 on the downstream side of the receipt start point of the main turret 2. In the present embodiment, the pitch circle of the auxiliary turret 4 is in contact with the pitch circle of the main turret 2 at a position where the main turret 2 has rotated a predetermined angle (e.g. α°) from the receipt start point. In this way, the range (range from the receipt start point to α°) in which the container supply turret 5 presses the can body 10 can be continuously connected to the range (range from α° to β°) in which the auxiliary turret 4 presses the can body 10. Therefore, even when the can body 10 is conveyed at a high speed, the can body 10 can be stably received.

The angle is not particularly limited to α° and β° shown in FIG. 2, and can be any angle depending on, for example, the shape of the can body 10 or the size of the pitch circle.

It is preferable that the circumferential velocity of the auxiliary turret 4 is higher (e.g. 0.5% to 5%) than the circumferential velocity of the main turret 2. Consequently, the time in which the can body 10 is pressed by the auxiliary turret is slightly longer, the influence of the change in the traveling direction of the can body 10 is reduced, and the can body 10 can be smoothly received.

In FIG. 2(b), the main turret 2 is then rotated a predetermined angle (e.g. about 0.5α°) from the receipt start point, and the can body 10 is put between the pocket 51 of the container supply turret 5 and the pocket 41 of the auxiliary turret 4, and is pressed by the pocket 51.

In FIG. 2(c), the main turret 2 is then rotated a predetermined angle (α°) from the receipt start point, and the can body 10 is put between the pocket 51 of the container supply turret 5 and the pocket 41 of the auxiliary turret 4, and reaches the limit of the pressure by the pocket 51. Instead, the pocket 41 of the auxiliary turret 4 starts to press the can body 10.

In FIG. 3(a), the main turret 2 is then rotated a predetermined angle (e.g. about α+0.5β°) from the receipt start point, the can body 10 is pressed by the pocket 41 inside the pocket 41, and the container supply turret 5 has escaped from the can body 10.

In FIG. 3(b), the main turret 2 is then rotated a predetermined angle (e.g. about α+β°) from the receipt start point, and reaches the limit of the pressure by the pocket 41. However, the can body 10 is sucked by the bottom suction means 21 during the period from the suction start to this point. That is, the can body 10 is held and centered at the same time by the auxiliary turret 4 during the period from the receipt start point to this point, and the bottom suction means 21 can suck the can body 10 in the centered state.

In FIG. 3(c), the main turret 2 is rotated a predetermined angle (e.g. about α+1.5β°) from the receipt start point, and the auxiliary turret 4 has escaped from the can body 10.

The main turret 2 then rotates the can body 10 sucked by the bottom suction means 21, and supplies the rotated can body 10 to the high-frequency induction heating means 3. The high-frequency induction heating means 3 heats the can body 10 from the outer circumferential side and the central side of the main turret 2.

The main turret 2 then stops the rotation of the can body 10 which has passed through the high-frequency induction heating means 3, conveys the can body 10 which has stopped rotating, and supplies the can body 10 to the embossing process via the container conveying turret 6.

Thus, according to the heating device 1 in the present embodiment, the high-frequency induction heating means 3 can be also disposed on the central side of the main turret 2, uniform heating is possible, and the heating efficiency can be improved. Moreover, it is possible to reduce a heating time, and reduce the high-frequency induction heating means 3 in size and save the space of the heating device 1.

Second Embodiment

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of essential parts for illustrating a container processing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, wherein (a) shows a front view, and (b) shows a B-B sectional view.

In FIG. 4, a can body pinhole inspection device 1 a as the container processing device according to the present embodiment includes a main turret 2 a, illumination means 3 a, 31 a, an auxiliary turret 4, and a container supply turret 5. The auxiliary turret 4 is configured to center a can body 10 towards bottom suction means 21 a. As predetermined processing, the pinhole inspection device 1 a performs optical inspection processing to inspect the can body 10 for a pinhole.

Components in FIG. 4 similar to the components in FIG. 1 are provided with the same reference signs, and are not described in detail.

Although not shown, the sealed ring plate and the camera obscura described in Patent Literature 2 are used in the pinhole inspection.

(Main Turret)

The main turret 2 a is an annular plate material attached to a rotation shaft, and has a plurality of bottom suction means 21 a provided on the circumferential edge at equal intervals. The bottom suction means 21 a each has a suction plate which sucks the bottom of the can body 10, and a slide bar and a cam to reciprocate the suction plate. The main turret 2 a supplies the can body 10 to the regions of the illumination means 3 a and 31 a to provide the optical inspection processing for the can body 10 sucked by the bottom suction means 21 a.

(Illumination Means)

The illumination means 3 a is disposed on the outer circumferential side of the main turret 2 a, and the illumination means 31 a is disposed on the central side of the main turret 2 a. In contrast with the second typical example, the illumination means 31 a is integrated illumination means, and is configured so as not to be adversely affected by can body holding pockets 122 a. Thus, it is possible to uniformly and effectively apply light to the entire barrel of the can body 10, and improve the accuracy of the pinhole inspection.

(Auxiliary Turret)

The auxiliary turret 4 includes two annular plate materials attached to a pivotally supported rotation shaft in parallel, and has a plurality of pockets 41 provided on the circumferential edge at equal intervals. Since the pinhole inspection device 1 a has a slide ring plate 123, a mechanism which pivotally supports the auxiliary turret 4 is put in the space between the slide ring plate 123 and the main turret 2 a. The auxiliary turret 4 is substantially similar in configuration to the auxiliary turret 4 according to the first embodiment in other respects.

Therefore, in contact with the pinhole inspection device 101 a according to the second typical example, the pinhole inspection device 1 a does not need the can body holding pockets 122 a, so that the illumination means 31 a can be also disposed on the central side of the main turret 2 a.

The pinhole inspection device 1 a can receive the can body 10 from the container supply turret 5 substantially in the same manner as the heating device 1, and the configuration to detect pinholes is substantially similar to the configuration according to Patent Literature 2.

In this way, according to the pinhole inspection device 1 a in the present embodiment, it is possible to uniformly and effectively apply light to the entire barrel of the can body 10, improve the accuracy of the pinhole inspection, and reduce the pinhole inspection device 1 a in size.

While the preferred embodiments of the container processing device according to the present invention have been described above, it should be appreciated that the container processing device according to the present invention is not exclusively limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention.

For example, the heating device 1 is configured to perform the high-frequency induction heat treatment as predetermined processing, and the pinhole inspection device 1 a is configured to perform the optical inspection processing as predetermined processing. However, the predetermined processing is not limited to the above. The predetermined processing includes at least one of, for example, cooling processing, drying processing, cleaning processing, sterilizing processing, fabricating processing, printing processing, and coating processing.

The conveyance direction of the can body 10 in the heating device 1 and the pinhole inspection device 1 a is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a vertical direction or a horizontal direction. The operation may also be intermittent or continuous.

Moreover, the container is not limited to the can body 10, and may be, for example, a container having a cylindrical portion. 

The invention claimed is:
 1. A container processing device comprising: a main turret which supplies a container to a processing element for providing predetermined processing so that the container is sucked by a bottom suction device, and a container supply turret facing the main turret; and an auxiliary turret in a container receiving area of the main turret, wherein a pitch circle of the auxiliary turret is in contact with a pitch circle of the main turret, a circumferential velocity of the auxiliary turret is higher than a circumferential velocity of the main turret, and the auxiliary turret centers the container towards the bottom suction device in the container receiving area.
 2. The container processing device according to claim 1, wherein a pocket of the auxiliary turret includes a container support arc surface, and an introduction surface extending on a rotation direction outer circumferential surface from the container support arc surface.
 3. The container processing device according to claim 1, wherein the pitch circle of the auxiliary turret contacts the pitch circle of the main turret on the downstream side of a receipt start point of the main turret.
 4. The container processing device according to claim 1, wherein a receiving guide member to guide the container is provided in the receiving area.
 5. The container processing device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined processing is a heat treatment before an embossing process of a can body, and a high-frequency induction heating element is disposed on an outer circumferential side and central side of the main turret.
 6. The container processing device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined processing is optical inspection processing to inspect a can body for a pinhole, and an illumination element is disposed on an outer circumferential side and central side of the main turret. 